Due to Rising Grocery Prices... Lotte Mart's Affordable Ugly Fruits Gain Popularity

Cooperative Fruit Sales Increase by Over 180%

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chunhan] Recently, as consumers increasingly prefer affordable products due to rising grocery prices, so-called ‘motnani fruits’ have gained great popularity.

On the 27th, Lotte Mart announced that it is currently offering more than 10 items, including chamoe, jadu, and apples, as part of its Win-Win Fruit Series. From January to July this year, sales of the Win-Win Fruits increased by more than 180% compared to the same period last year. These products are up to 30% cheaper than market prices.

Generally, the chamoe sold at Lotte Mart are graded as premium during inspection, but in early June, the proportion of ‘sang’ grade products with some skin blemishes or irregular shapes increases. These products are purchased and sold as Win-Win Chamoe.

The Win-Win Blueberry and Win-Win Jadu started from a counterintuitive idea of handling sizes that large retailers had not distributed before, gaining great popularity. Recently, due to poor harvest conditions, the proportion of blueberries smaller than 14mm per berry increased, causing difficulties in handling products that did not meet distributor supply standards. After several meetings with the Korea Blueberry Association, a 500g pack product was planned with smaller size but increased quantity. Similarly, this year, the size of jadu fruits has decreased, and they are sold at about 25% lower prices than regular products.

Lotte Mart plans to continue selling B+ grade agricultural products according to harvest conditions to stabilize prices and support farmers.

A Lotte Mart official said, "Despite rising prices, we are introducing Win-Win Fruits that break the mold of large retailers, contributing to farmer support through the absorption of off-peak market supply and stabilizing consumer prices. We will continue to plan the Win-Win Series to help farmers and provide customers with fresh products at reasonable prices."